EPA has recently announced that up to $3
million in funding for locally-focused environmental education grants will be
available under the 2018 EE Local Grant Program. EPA will award three to
four grants in each of EPA’s ten Regions, for no less than $50,000 and no more
than $100,000 each, for a total of 30-35 grants nationwide. Proposals are due
March 15, 2018. The Requests for Proposals will be posted on www.grants.gov later
this week.
In addition to other environmental topics, the 2018 EE Local
Grant Program includes support for projects that reflect the intersection of
environmental issues and agricultural best-practices, conservation of natural
resources, food waste management, and natural disaster preparedness.
Funded projects will increase public awareness of those topics
and help participants to develop the skills needed to make informed decisions.
A Request for Proposals (also called a Solicitation Notice) containing details
will be issued by each of the ten EPA Regions.
“By recognizing these locally-based learning and awareness
opportunities, the Environmental Protection Agency is taking both a local and
national leadership role in promoting sound agricultural conservation
practices, environmental disaster preparedness, adequate food waste management
and other important environmental best-practices,” said Administrator Scott Pruitt.
“Environmental education starts locally in our own backyards, classrooms and in
the fields of farmers who work the land directly, and I’m proud to play a role
in enhancing such learning opportunities.”
Through this grant program, EPA intends to provide financial
support for projects that design, demonstrate; and/or disseminate environmental
education practices, methods, or techniques, as described in this notice, that
will serve to increase environmental and conservation literacy, and encourage
behavior that will benefit the environment in the local community/ies in which
they are located.
Since 1992, EPA has distributed between $2 million and $3.5
million in annual grant funding under this program, supporting more than 3700
grants.
Proposals are due by March 15, 2018. The full solicitation
notices will be posted later this week at www.grants.gov and athttp://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grant-solicitation-notice.
Find background on the EE Grants Program and resources for
applicants at http://www.epa.gov/education/environmental-education-ee-grants.